KARACHI, May 3: A massive shortfall in cotton production in Punjab has badly affected the country’s overall output which remained less than 13 million bales in 2012-13.

According to final figures jointly compiled by Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA), All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) and Karachi Cotton Association (KCA), the country harvested only 12.915 million bales or 12.81pc less cotton during 2012-13 as against year’s season (2011-12) when total production stood at 14.813m bales.

The country produced 1.898m less bales during 2012-13 cotton season, resulting in a shortfall of around 2m bales against total domestic needs of around 15m bales.

Battered by last year’s heavy rains and floods, cotton crop in the Punjab sustained heavy losses and resulted in a shortfall of around 2.623m bales or 21.63pc over last year’s (2011-12) cotton season. The Punjab, which produces around 80pc of country’s total cotton, ended up with a total harvest of around 9.508m bales (2012-13) as against 12.132m bales produced in the last season (2011-12).

Nevertheless, the province of Sindh, after suffering heavily for two consecutive seasons on account of heavy rains and floods, witnessed a good harvest during the out-going cotton season and produced 3.407m bales which stood 27.05pc higher over previous year when production stood at 2.681m bales.

Sowing for new cotton season (2013-14) is smoothly going on in Sindh where recent moderate rains were taken to be a blessing, but situation in the Punjab is again not satisfactory where growers have to saw their crop for second time after heavy rains caused some damage.

With next crop still more than two months away, ginners are still holding somewhat higher unsold stocks of around 399,919 bales compared to 277,562 bales held during the fag end of last season (2011-12).

Cotton analysts believed that current depressed demand for cotton yarn and fabric in the domestic and world markets left higher volume of unsold stocks of cotton with ginners. The slowdown in economic activity due to severe power crisis, coupled with liquidity crunch in trade and industry, also resulted in lesser off-take of cotton by spinners who purchased 12.515m bales during the out-going season as against 13.435m bales lifted by them in the last season.

Similarly, exporters purchased less cotton this season due to depressed demand for cotton in the world market.

The closing month’s flow of phutti (seed cotton) stood at 27,557 bales compared to last year’s arrival at 143,441 bales, showing a shortfall of 115,884 bales.